The green house

I've just received the best Christmas present ever. It did not come fancily wrapped; nor did it rustle, rattle or smell enticing. It's only a piece of paper in a plain brown envelope, but it means the world to me.

Yes, finally, after nearly two years of difficulties, delays and reapplications, we have planning permission for our eco-house. As Frank cracked open the fizz (English, from our local vineyard, before you ask), Nick the architect explained that the next step would be to send out detailed drawings to our shortlist of builders for costing, so that work can get under way as soon as the early spring weather allows.

When I began writing this column last autumn, I had imagined we would be living in our converted railway carriages by now, not still waiting for work to start. Our first application had to be withdrawn - the planners deemed it too bulky. Then our former architect went all modernist on us. Then, when we seemed just on the verge of getting revised plans in, he had to quit because he was closing down his practice. I now know such hitches are par for the course, and that it would be a miracle were we not to encounter more before our project is complete.

Even so, I can't help imagining that in the same amount of time, many others would not only have built their own eco-houses with their bare hands, but grown their own trees for the timber and raised their own sheep for natural wool insulation. Here's to a constructive new year.